KARNATAKA STATE HAJ COMMITTEE, BANGALORE

The Karnataka State Haj Committee is a Autonomous Body under Minorities Welfare Department of Government of Karnataka. It functions under the Haj Committee Act 2002 and under the Ministry of External Affairs, (Haj Cell), Government of India, New Delhi, through the Haj Committee of India, Mumbai. The Karnataka State Haj Committee is situated at “Sadath Haj House’, No. 84/A, Richmond Road, Bangalore - 560 025. Ph: 080-22244434 – Fax : 080- 22240113, has its own website : www.karhaj.in & email : info@karhaj.in.

Haj is one of the five tenets of Islam. It is every Muslim's desire to perform Haj at least once in his life time. Performing Haj is obligatory to every sane, financially able and adult Muslim.

The Karnataka State Haj Committee was first constituted vide G.O. No. RD 1 CHJ 65, dated 05-08-1965 for a period of three years, consisting of eight members under the Chairmanship of the then Hon’ble Deputy Minister for Finance and Wakfs Mr. H.R. Abdul Gaffar as its Chairman and the then Under Secretary to Government, Finance Department as Secretary of the State Haj Committee, and thereafter it was being reconstituted every three years.

Consequent to the enactment of Haj Committee Act. 2002, the Government of Karnataka have constituted the State Haj Committee under section ( 47) of Haj Act, 2002 wide notification No. SWD 55 WHJ 2012 dated 16-7-2012 / 14-8-2012 with 15 members. Mr. Mohammed Margoob Ahmed was elected as its Chairman from among the members.

Functions and Duties of the State Haj Committee.

The State Haj Committee is a advisory and consultative body, works as a nodal office between the intending Haj pilgrims with Central Haj Committee, Mumbai and also with Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The State Haj Committee assists, guides and helps the intending pilgrims to perform their Haj Journey. Its main duties are;

To collect and disseminate information useful to intending pilgrims

To advise and assist intending pilgrims in all matters including inoculation, vaccination, medical inspection, issue of pilgrim passes, depositing advances and co-operate with the local authorities concerned in such matters;

To negotiate and co-operate with the concerned authorities for the purpose of traveling facilities for pilgrims;

To bring the grievances of the pilgrims to the notice of the authorities concerned and to suggest remedies and

To do such other things which they consider would help the intending pilgrims in their pilgrimage to Haj.

The State Haj Committee makes available the prescribed application forms for applying for Haj (Supplied by Central Haj Committee, Mumbai) to the intending pilgrims directly, District Wakf Advisory Committees and other prominent social organizations and also assist the intending pilgrims to fill in their application forms. The applications and other enclosures collected from the intending pilgrims is transferred to Central Haj Committee after scrutinizing each and every application received. The State Haj Committee intimates the selected pilgrims about the registration and confirmation of their applications and also day to-day information is supplied to them.